The present invention relates in general to portable, hand-held, liquid-storage containers which may be used to store (and dispense) various liquid substances such as paint, household cleaners, laundry products, and beverages, to name a few.
More specifically, the present invention relates to portable, hand-held, liquid-storage containers which include a pouring (dispensing) spout and one or more sealing mechanisms or structures positioned at the interface between two members or portions of the container. The sealing mechanisms may either be shaped portions of the members defining the interface to be sealed or separate components added to the members or a combination of both.
While the use of a pouring spout as part of a liquid-storage container is now commonly used for liquid laundry detergents and fabric softeners, the present invention is directed to how this broad concept can be adapted to other liquid-product containers, specifically containers for paint. While the preferred embodiment of the present invention is described in the context of a molded plastic, one-gallon paint container, the present invention is not size restrictive. In one embodiment of the present invention, the paint container is a shaped and contoured structure which is fabricated by a blow-molding process. In another embodiment of the present invention, the paint container retains a generally cylindrical form which is fabricated by an injection-molding process.
Currently used metal paint cans include a generally cylindrical can body with a circular upper opening configured with a generally U-shaped peripheral channel which captures the outer peripheral lip or protrusion of a circular lid. The lid-to-can interface is often referred to as having a sealing system called a “triple-tight seal”. A wire-like metal handle is provided and hinged at opposite ends to the paint can body. Anyone who has done any painting using such a paint can is no doubt familiar with the many problems in the sense of wasted and splattered paint. The awkwardness of pouring paint from the can into a tray for a roller is also seen as a drawback with this particular design. Dipping a paint brush into the can and then using the can edge as a wiping edge also creates a mess and causes paint to be deposited in the annular U-shaped channel. As paint collects in this peripheral channel, resealing the lid becomes particularly messy as the captured paint is pushed out and may either splatter or run down the side of the paint can. Aside from the mess, the current metal paint can design results in wasted paint, not only from what drips, splatters, or runs down the side of the can, but also from not being able to tightly reseal the lid onto the can body. If the lid is not tightly resealed on the can body, the paint can dry out or skin over, causing obvious problems of continued use and often resulting in the leftover portion of paint being discarded. Another consideration with the use of metal paint cans is the level or extent of damage returns. Cans which become rusted or dented are unlikely to be sold by the store. If the paint cans are supplied to the store in this condition, they are typically returned to the supplier. On an annual basis, it is estimated that such returns amount to approximately seven percent (7%) of the total number of cans supplied to the stores. Plastic paint cans/containers do not have rusting and/or denting problems.
By designing a paint container with a screw-on lid and a pouring spout with an excess paint drain-back feature, a number of the disadvantages with metal paint cans and the use of such cans can be eliminated. Even if only molding the conventional paint can out of plastic and adding a pouring spout or lip, there are advantageous improvements over current metal paint can designs. While plastic containers with pouring spouts are now in use for laundry products, there are a number of reasons why these styles of containers are not suitable for paint and why significant design changes must be invented to be able to create a suitable paint container with these structural features. For example, the size of the opening in the container body needs to be expanded for a paint container as compared to a liquid laundry detergent and, as such, the spout design must change. As this occurs, the sealing mechanisms or structures have to be considered. If there is a desire to have a wiping edge for the paint brush as part of the molded paint container, a factor which is not a consideration with a liquid laundry detergent, this has to be factored into the new (plastic) design. The attempt to incorporate this type of wiping edge as part of the pouring spout presents additional design challenges. A paint drain-back feature may also be considered an important part of any new and improved paint container. Any paint which is wiped off of the brush or drips from the brush and any paint which might run down the lip of the pouring spout would preferably have a path to reenter the body of the paint container.
A further consideration for a suitable paint container is the overall shape and balance, not only for handling and transporting convenience, including the possibility of stacking, but also for the practical consideration of being able to tint to a particular color by adding pigment to a base color, such as white. This tinting requires access to the interior of the paint container body and also requires some type of vibratory shaking of the paint container. This in turn focuses some attention on the design in terms of the size and shape of the container as well as the design of the sealing mechanisms which are employed as part of the paint container at those interfaces where leakage could conceivably occur.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the paint container is blow-molded and presents a more unique contoured shape. While this design has various advantages as will be explained herein, there are differences between a blow-molded container and an injection-molded container. In another embodiment of the present invention, an injection-molded paint container is provided which in part simulates the general shape and style of a (current) metal paint can. One important improvement is the addition of a pouring spout, something which is not a part of the design of current metal paint cans.
In the design of liquid-storage containers, a first location to incorporate some type of sealing mechanism or structure is at the interface between the body of the container and the closing lid. Whether the lid snaps into or onto or in some fashion over the upper opening of the container neck portion, or whether the lid threads into or onto the neck, some type of sealing mechanism or gasket would likely improve the sealed integrity of that interface. Depending on the size and shape of the container and depending on the material to be placed in the container, the choice for the preferred style of sealing mechanism may change. Another factor in the selection or design of the preferred sealing mechanism or structure is the frequency of opening and closing the container.
When the liquid-storage container includes a pouring spout, additional sealing considerations come into play. How the spout is positioned in the container body will dictate to some extent what sealing mechanisms may be required and what type of sealing mechanisms or structures would be possible to employ and which types would be preferred.
The present invention focuses on various sealing mechanisms which offer a variety of design options for a variety of applications and interfaces. These various sealing mechanisms of the present invention have a general applicability for sealing between two (or more) members. However, these sealing mechanism are also described in the context of molded plastic paint containers with a screw-on lid and a pouring spout. As described, the sealing mechanisms of the present invention may be configured using shaped portions of the members which define the interface to be sealed, or may be provided by the use of separate sealing components, or may be a combination of both.
The present invention provides an improvement to the current designs in this field of art in a novel an unobvious manner.